The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics prepares students who wish to investigate the causes and risk factors of diseases and injuries in populations. Epidemiologists conduct both experimental and observational studies within the community, including studying the characteristics of individuals and their physical and social environments. Their findings provide public health practitioners and policy makers with guidance to promote health and prevent and control diseases and injuries. Epidemiology students learn from and participate with faculty members, most of whom are employees of the New York State Department of Health with University at Albany appointments. These faculty are actively practicing epidemiology and addressing the public health problems and priorities of New York.
ALBANY, N.Y. (February 24, 2021) – In a recent study, UAlbany School of Public Health alum (DrPH, 2020) Dr. Wayne Lawrence collaborated with several faculty to investigate the impact of preexisting mental illnesses on all-cause and cause-specific mortality among Medicaid-insured women diagnosed with breast cancer. The researchers discovered that among women diagnosed with breast cancer, those with preexisting severe mental illness (SMI) at diagnosis were at an increased risk of overall mortality and cancer-specific mortality compared to women without mental illness.
Guthrie (Gus) Birkhead, MD, MPH is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Until 2015, Dr. Birkhead worked at the New York State Department of Health for 27 years. Throughout his career, Dr. Birkhead worked in the Bureau of Communicable Disease Control, was the director of the NYSDOH AIDS Institute and director of the NYSDOH Center for Community Health (CCH), which included the state’s communicable disease, chronic disease, maternal and child health, nutrition and local public health services programs. Dr. Birkhead was also Deputy Commissioner and Director of the Office of Public Health, which included responsibility for the AIDS Institute, the CCH, the Center for Environmental Health and the Wadsworth Center Public Health Laboratory.
ALBANY, N.Y. (September 11, 2020) – Fareedat Bello, an international student from Nigeria working towards a Master’s degree in Epidemiology, struggled to adapt to the U.S. education system during her first semester at UAlbany. Now, she’s flourishing in her epidemiology courses and interning at the renowned New York State Department of Health AIDS Institute, known for its innovative and forward-thinking approach to the HIV/AIDs epidemic.
ALBANY, N.Y. (July 6, 2020) – The new Center for Collaborative HIV Research in Practice and Policy (CCHRPP), located at the University at Albany School of Public Health, addresses the public health and social justice challenges of persons placed at risk for, or living with, HIV and related diseases.
The School of Public Health is conducting the UPSIDE study, which is funded by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and aims to better understand Hepatitis C (HCV) and related issues among persons who inject drugs (PWID) in Upstate New York. Because HCV is most commonly transmitted by injection drug, a behavior which has been increasing as part of the drug epidemic in the U.S. and New York, the spread of HCV has been increasing. Although PWID are the priority group to understand ongoing spread of HCV, few research studies have been conducted on this population in upstate New York.
Principal investigators Dr. Tomoko Udo and Dr. Eli Rosenberg are leading the UPSIDE study, in partnership with syringe exchange programs run by Catholic Charities Care Coordination Services in the Capital Region, the Alliance for Positive Health in Plattsburgh, and the Southern Tier AIDS Program in Norwich.
Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics
Nikki Malachowski
Administrative Manager
Room 131
1 University Place Rensselaer, NY12144 United States
